Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
An indigenous firm, Belemaoil Producing Limited in conjunction with Belema Sweet has revealed plan to establish an oil export terminal in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, right at the tip of the Atlantic Ocean between Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Belema Sweet (export terminal) is to allow export of crude oil to resume without much danger in the face of one full year of no oil operations by most oil operators following the shutdown of the transnational pipeline that delivers crude oil for export to Bonny terminal.
The channel had come under attack by oil thieves who bored it and sucked oil for local refining, thus making oil companies to lose over 80 per cent of oil passed through the pipeline.
Belemaoil, which said it lost over 5.4 million barrels of crude oil in one year, has worked out plans to set up a terminal in Kula and pass all deliveries within the area to the new terminal instead of passing it to the TNP to Bonny and face risks.
Ahead of the launch of the terminal to the federal government for approval, Belemaoil Producing Limited organised host communities forum yesterday in Port Harcourt, witnessed by the chief executives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Autho-rity (NMDPRA) as well as the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Explaining the project, Manager, External Relations andd Corporate Affairs, Belemaoil, Mr Samuel Abel-Jumbo, said the idea was developed by Tein Jack-Rich, the Founder and CEO of Belemaoil Producing Limited.
He said: “The proposed terminal has unique advantages because all operators in that area would have to export through Belema Sweet (terminal). This is an attractive proposition.
“It is a huge asset and has huge benefits because Bonny has only one OML whereas Kula has about six”. He named some of the benefits thus: “It will create jobs (some experts say up to 500 at the first instance), developments, etc. There is 85km road to Kula spearheaded by Belemaoil which the terminal will boost.
Bonny has made a road possible too, almost ready. This is what happens when you get a terminal. Belema Sweet Terminal will also attract road and other attention to Kula”.
He urged the community leaders at the event to contribute as community in helping the dream come to reality, saying if it succeeds, they would all benefit from the proceeds.
In his presentation on the sensitive project, CEO of Ajivin Nigeria Limited, Vincent Ajilo, said Belema lost 5.4 million barrels of crude oil during the one year of shutdown due to inability to transport crude oil to the Bonny through the major pipeline. Other oil companies lost also, he said.
“This project (Belema Sweet) will stop the loss because the OMLs 55,24, 25,23, 18, and 29 will begin to export crude oil. The new terminal will process 50mscf per day of SPG (condensate) and CNG and fertilizer.
Pipeline will come from Robertkiri base to export terminal at Agudamakiri. There has been one year now of no production in Belema oil fields and others. There will be crude oil and gas production. Kula will have full and regular power supply free like Bonny. There will no be cooking by firewood.”
He hinted by December 2023, the loading bay should be completed if things go according to plan.
“There will be 18-inch pipeline running some 15 km. It will spill at least 500 jobs at the beginning. There would be training, power supply to Kula, GDP will be boosted, security in Kula sea-route will boost up, etc.”
Ajilo appealed to host community people to give the project their blessing, and give support and security, and to cooperate with the contractors.
“You know the place better. Let the youths take this seriously because opportunities are plenty. Already, 40 per cent of jobs are reserved to the communities,” he said.
Earlier, acting the Managing Director of Belemaoil, Collins Amadi, made it clear that the project and the entire Belemaoil company belong to Kula people. He also noted that the founder, their own son, Jack-Rich, always talks about nothing but his people.
“You can make things happen,” he said.
He reminded them that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is in existence to ensure that host communities get what was due them. He said the regulators were in attendance to hear and see the discussions directly.
The manager of host community affairs in the NMDPRA, Ngozi Asogwa, who said their job was to foster peace in host communities, stressed that oil companies were under mandate to carry host communities along, but commended Belemaoil for their style.
The Minister of Environment was represented by the Chairman of Board of Hydrogen Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Mike Nwilegha, who said the Ministry would ensure that all environmental regulations were obeyed.
